Religion News: Athiests, agnostics not represented in Congress

Thursday

Jan 27, 2011 at 12:01 AMJan 27, 2011 at 3:23 AM

Click inside for the weekly religion news with items on a religious breakdown of the 112th Congress, 10 things you don't need to believe to be a good Christian, a quote of the week and more. Or check out these links.

Staff Reports

Even though the 2010 midterm elections made for many changes in Congress, for the most part, it still represents the religious groups of the country in proportion to their population.

For example, Protestants still make up the majority of Congress, with 57 percent, as they do in the U.S. population, with 51 percent. Catholics have the second largest representation, taking up 29.2 percent of Congress and 23.9 percent of the population.

The largest disparity in numbers, however, is among the unaffiliated, who make up 16.1 percent of the general population and zero percent of Congress –– meaning there are no members of Congress who identify themselves as unaffiliated.

This gap in representation may be explained with a 2010 Pew Research survey that says 61 percent of Americans “say it is important for members of Congress to have strong religious beliefs.” This view is even prevalent among 15 percent of self-identified atheists and agnostics.

As with the previous Congress, Baptists have the largest presence out of the Protestant denominational family, with 12.7 percent of Congress and 17.2 percent of the population. Although Methodists have dropped six members since the midterms, they come in second with 9.5 percent of Congress and 6.2 percent of the population.

Presbyterians and Anglicans/Episcopalians are both over represented in Congress (8.4 percent and 7.7 percent) when compared with their population (2.7 percent and 1.5 percent). Lutherans, however, remain steady with 4.6 of the population and 4.9 percent of Congress.

Muslims are proportionally represented, making up .4 percent of Congress (2 members) and .6 percent of the population. Buddhists follow suit, as well, with .6 percent of Congress (3 members) and .7 percent of the population.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Hindus, on the other hand, each make up less than 1 percent of the population and have no representation in Congress.

Other groups that are over represented when compared with their population numbers include Mormons, who make up 1.7 percent of the population but 2.8 percent of Congress, with 15 members. Jews also make up 1.7 percent of the population but 7.3 percent of Congress, with 39 members.

About 1 percent of the 112th Congress (6 members) don’t know or refuse to specify a religious affiliation.

-- Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

Week in Religion

Jan. 25, 1534, German reformer Martin Luther gave his understanding of "conversion" in a sermon: “To be converted to God means to believe in Christ, to believe that He is our Mediator and that we have eternal life through Him.”
Jan. 26, 1951, the Temple Beth Israel of Meridian, Miss., became the first Jewish congregation to allow women to perform the functions of a rabbi.
Jan. 27, 1972, the white and black United Methodist conferences of Columbia, S.C., which was separated since the Civil War, voted in their respective meetingsto adopt a plan of union.

-- William D. Blake, Almanac of the Christian Church

Survey Says

In September 2010, 62 percent of white, non-Hispanic Protestants thought the protection of the right to own guns was more important than controlling gun ownership, and 34 percent thought otherwise. Among Catholics, 36 percent favored the right to own guns, while 62 percent thought otherwise. Among the unaffiliated, 44 percent favored the right to own guns, and 53 percent thought otherwise.

-- Pew Research Center

Good Book?

“What’s the Least I can Believe and Still Be a Christian?” by Pastor Martin Thielen

United Methodist Pastor Martin Thielen outlines a list of ten things Christians do not need to believe—and ten things they do—to "qualify" as Christians. He targets seekers and believers who want an expression of Christian faith that is different from the judgmental and narrow-minded caricatures seen on television or in the news. His list of things Christians do not need to believe includes:

God causes cancer, car wrecks and other catastrophes
Good Christians don't doubt
True Christians can't believe in evolution
Women can't be preachers and must submit to men
God cares about saving souls but not about saving trees
Bad people will be "left behind" and then fry in Hell
Jews won't make it to Heaven
Everything in the bible should be taken literally
God loves straight people but not gay people
It's OK for Christians to be judgmental and obnoxious

-- Westminster John Knox Press

Quote of the week

“For what is faith unless it is to believe what you do not see?” – St. Augustine

The Word

Mandala: An object that one can focus on during meditation. It is usually a painted diagram that shows the unfolding of the cosmos. It is widely used by Buddhists and Hindus.

-- religioustolerance.org

Religion Around the World

Religious makeup of France

Roman Catholic: 83-88 percent

Protestant: 2 percent

Jewish: 1 percent

Muslim: 5-10 percent

Unaffiliated: percent

- CIA Factbook

GateHouse News Service

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